Henry



| BAKER c MQGILL INVENTQRS, NEW YORK] DOCIOE THE GRAPH IC C0.PH OTO -LITH-39 8:41 PARK PLAGEJLY- UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

HENRY O. BAKER AND JAMES MCGILL, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

FIRE-ESCAPE.

Specification forming p'art of Letters Patent No. 28,340, dated May 22, 1860.

To all whom, it may concern,.-

Be it known that we, HENRY O. BAKER and JAMES MCGILL, of the city of New York, county of New York, and State of New York, have invented a new and Improved Mode of Escaping from Buildings when on Fire or upon an Alarm of Fire; and we do hereby declare that the following is a full and exact description thereof, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the letters of reference marked thereon.

The nature of our invention consists in providing a series of adjustable or stationary stairs, steps, or ladders, with or without single or double folding guards or balusters, in connection with balconies upon the outside of buildings, to be used as a means of egress or escape from buildings when on fire or upon an alarm of fire.

To enable others skilled in the art to make and use our invention, we will proceed to de.- scribe its construction and operation.

Ve construct our balconies in any of the known forms, and attach thereto at either end a stairs, steps, or ladder at any angle found necessary or convenient. The stairs may be adjustable by being securely fastened at one end to the under side of the balcony by means of hinges, bolts, hooks, straps, rods, eyes, or other secure means to admit of its being freely elevated or lowered at will by a rope, cord, or chain fastened at the foot of the stairs.

FigureAin the accompanying drawings represents the steps when properly secured and ready to be lowered for use.

The stairs, steps, or ladders are to be constructed in any of the known forms of such articles, and in addition thereto a folding guard or baluster may be placed on one or both sides, to be secured to the ladder by means of hinges or other proper fastenings, as represented by Fig. B in the accompanying drawings. Small cords or chains are also to be attached to the hand-rail or some other part of the guard, and securely fastened to the under side of the balcony at such length as to fully open and set the guard when the ladder is down. The guard or baluster may be constructed of rope or chain net-work the whole length of the ladder and to extend to the under side of the balcony, Fig. D, or it may be of wood, wire, or iron, with single or double fold, as represented in Fig. B.

The hoisting or lowering apparatus, Fig. E, may be of rope, cord, or chain. The lowering of the steps is to be controlled by a reel, Fig. C C O, which is to be governed by a spring or weight to press upon the reel and regulate the gradual lowering of the stairs. The reel may be placed upon the top or on the under side of the balcony. A small iron pin is to pass into the reel to keep it from unreeling the cord. To this pin may be attached a chain or cord to connect with the trap-door, so that on opening the trap the pin is withdrawn from the reel and the stairs allowed to gradually lower to the balcony beneath.

Having thus fully described our invention, what we claim therein as new, and desire to have secured to us by Letters Patent, is-

The stairs or ladders, the folding guard or their equivalent, in connection with balconies upon the outside of a building, substantially as above described, for the purpose specified.

HENRY O. BAKER. JAMES MCGILL. Witnesses:

WILLIAM T. GRAFF, CHARLES H. FAREELL. 

